Invincible
by Takada Saiko
Summary: Tony/Pepper fluff. Simply that. I wanted to write, so I wrote fluff. Please R&R, ya'll know it's like a drug.


Title: Invincible

Author: Takada Saiko

Rating: T (for very slight cursing…. Really over rated)

A/N: I own nothing, sadly enough. Marvel owns Iron Man, and Stan Lee wrote it. If only I'd been alive and had the idea, I wouldn't have mounds of debt to pay off when I get out of school. Anyway, I just needed to write and post something. Anna Maxwell and I are writing on a full length Iron Man fic, but we decided not to post it until it's finished (b/c when we post them prematurely, it seems to be the stamp of doom on the fic). So yeah… fluff for Pepper and Tony! Yay!

He'd been gone over forty-eight hours. Closer to seventy-two if she hadn't lost too much time. It was the sound of Jarvis' unique voice spanning through the house from the basement garage that woke her from her power nap she'd taken on accident.

Pepper Potts stretched and was on her way downstairs before she was even truly awake. She hadn't heard anything about his condition, even though he knew she'd be there. She always was. At times Pepper wondered why she even kept an apartment of her own when she spent the majority of her working – and non working – hours at the Stark mansion.

Jarvis was pulling the suit from her boss' beaten body as she entered and she was just in time to see him pitch forward. Tony Stark collapsed onto the cold, hard flooring of his garage and curled in on himself. Pepper had her hands on him as soon as she could reach, brushing against the dark under-suite that still covered his body. It was ripped and toward and bruises were already forming.

Pepper cradled him, pulling her the inventor into a more comfortable position. "Jarvis!"

"He's not nearly as bad as he appears, from my readings," the AI assured her. "It's most exhaustion. There's a possibility of a couple of cracked ribs, but I would need to run full diagnostics to be sure."

"Nothing life threatening?" the red-head asked, fighting back the fear that had overwhelmed her.

"No, Miss Potts. He should be back to normal with rest and nourishment."

A groan escaped Tony's lips and he shifted in his assistance's arms. "Feels good," he moaned.

Pepper glanced down and noticed for the first time that she was absently stroking his dark hair, smoothing it back. "Hey there," she whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," he managed, trying to pull himself into a sitting position. He winced, arm wrapping around his ribcage. "I just want to hit the shower and the bed."

"Alright. Let's get you on your way then, Mr. Stark."

A grin spread across his face as she helped him stand and started towards the elevator. "You know, it wouldn't hurt to have you join me, Miss Potts."

Pepper let out an exasperated sigh and gave him a look that threatened to let him find his own way upstairs.

"Okay, okay," he acknowledged. "No double shower. You know, that does help save water and everyone's going green now days, and…. Never mind."

"Smart man," she answered as they exited. "Take your shower and I'll have something for you to eat by the time you get out."

"What if I collapse?"

"Don't push your luck, Tony," the redhead answered good naturedly and left him to his hygienic pursuits. She made it down the stairs before falling against the wall and the tears rushing down her face. She hated it. Truly, fully hated it, and she didn't know how to make it stop. She'd almost hated her boss when she first began working for him. He was irresponsible and forgetful, never getting anywhere on time nor seeming to have any respect for others. It had taken a year for him to begin to grow on her and the come-ons to stop, but then everything had changed when he'd been lost in Afghanistan. He'd changed.

A year ago, Pepper Potts' biggest worry was if her billionaire boss would make it to the meeting that he was supposed to be at, and maybe he'd even be sober, but now… Now she worried about bullet holes, internal injuries, and a body that was not meant to hit the speeds that his suit could. Tony Stark was not a hero, or, at least, she wished he wasn't. Then maybe she could go home after a full day of work and not be glued to the television watching for news of potential terroristic threat that would send a red and gold streak across the sky.

Pepper laid her head back against the wall, tears still streaming. All she wanted was for him to be safe.

"Pep?"

Tony's voice startled her and she looked up, blood rushing to her cheeks. "Oh my… I'm sorry."

"Pepper, are you alright?" he asked, kneeling next to her with worry etched into his face and shining from dark eyes. "You're crying." He reached a shaky finger to her face, wiping tears away.

"Yes, I'm fine," she whimpered.

Tony frowned. "It's something I did, isn't it? Listen, Pep, I know you told me to stop with the comments, but-"

"It's not that," she managed, a new rush of tears flooding from her eyes.

"Then what?" he demanded. "I haven't been _home_ long enough to-"

Pepper suddenly launched herself into her boss' chest, knocking him over so that she was half lying on top of his. Her sobs had turned into near wails and she clung tighter.

Tony was stunned by the sudden display of emotion from his perfect Pepper Potts. He didn't know what brought it on, but obviously it was nothing negative that he had done as she had thrown herself into his arms. He carefully reached an arm around her, stroking her hair. "Pep…."

"What happens when you don't come back next time?" she cried into his t-shirt.

And with a few simple words, everything became clear. "Ah, Pep, it's okay. Really. Jarvis was right, the worst I came out of this with was a few bruises. Trust me, I've been a lot worse."

Pepper automatically looked to the arc reactor that was glowing softly against her face. "But what if next time it's worse. I don't care what you say. You're not invincible."

"I am," Tony countered, shifting so that he could ease his assistant up into a standing position. He moved her towards the kitchen. A silence stretched between them as the unmasked hero limped his way through the oversized kitchen, and before she knew it, handed Pepper a sandwich. "You want to know why?" he asked at length.

Pepper sniffed, feeling overly foolish by this point. "Why is that?"

A grin spread across Tony's tired features. "Because I know you'll be waiting for me when I get back."


End file.
